Posts by: Kerri
One of my home decor crushes right now is ceramic table lamps. I love them in any shape, but the gourd lamp is definitely my fave! It’s all I can do not to put one in every room, but I’m trying my best to show some decor-trend restraint!
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Here’s the fun red ones in our basement…
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With a throwback to mid century designs, they help bring modern flavor and polish to any room.
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And, not to mention fun! You can instantly create some ‘cheekiness’ to any serious room by adding a pop of glossy color with a ceramic lamp.
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The only downfall of ceramic lamps (or the ‘ceramic-look’ which is painted glass) is, of course, their fragility! In my basement, my red ceramic lamps are all but glue-gunned down to the side tables. I used non-slip vinyl underneath to prevent our kids from tipping them, but it’s certainly not fail-proof. I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best! (And I’ve probably just jinxed it by talking about it, lol.)
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But since you can find a gorgeous gourd lamp at a great price point, and in just about any color under the sun right now – even in places like HomeSense – they’re just too hard to resist! The large variety out there also means you’ll always find the perfect lamp for any room…
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Sooooo AWESOME, right?
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Adding a shiny ceramic gourd lamp to a room is kinda like putting on lip gloss. No matter how drab you look, its an instant pick me up!
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Until next time,
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You know I love my daily dose of decor blogs. But it hasn’t replaced my long-standing affair with decorating magazines. I’ve been a decorating magazine junkie for over 20 years. Back in the mid-90s, I’d sneak in some time with Canadian House and Home in the ‘current periodicals’ section of the university library when I should have been studying for a marketing exam…and I’ve been hooked ever since.
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If you’re a decorating magazine junkie too, you probably get the same kind of kid-in-a-candy-store-feeling as me when you find a new issue in the mailbox, or on the grocery store stands! The only thing that’s better, is locking myself away in a quiet (kid-free) room to drool over the pages with a big cuppa java.
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For the better part of the two decades I’ve been reading them, decor magazines have been mostly about ‘aspirational’ decorating. Filled with glossy spreads of gorgeous homes decorated (mostly) by professional designers, they appealed to our dreams, not necessarily our realities. They’ve fed our appetite for eye candy – even if, albeit, the eye candy is a little, er, inaccessible. As a poor university student, I knew it would be a loooooong time before I could afford a home like the ones they featured (if ever), but by schooling me on decor trends and the rules of great design, those old issues inspired me nonetheless.
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A space featured in a 1996 issue of Canadian House and Home. Source and credits: Canadian House and Home.
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Fast forward 20 years to 2013.
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The June issue of another favorite, Style at Home, looks like this:
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It reads: Love the home you’re in!
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Back it up like a Tonka truck.
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Did that decorating magazine just give me permission to love the home I own right now? As in: our less than perfect home? As in: not my ultimate dream home? I can love this home? Even without the all the custom finishings I’ve dreamed of? And without a professional-grade kitchen range? And without granite counter-tops or a craftsman front door? Well OK, Style at Home…I’m in!
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And then I remembered Style at Home‘s January issue, whose cover read: This year’s trend: Break the rules! Decorate the way you love.
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OK, so you mean, it’s now trendy to decorate just the way I want, and not by somebody else’s rules? Sold!
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Truth told, I’ve bought into this idea for years now, thanks to decor blogs like Nesting Place which have inspired me to embrace the home we have right now. But you have to agree, it’s pretty refreshing to see mainstream magazines embracing this idea so explicitly! After all, life is short. Why not be happy in the digs you have right now? Why waste 10 years aspiring to a ‘dream home’ that might never come?
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Personally, even though our financial situation has matured since early college days when I stole a peek at House and Home in the library, I’m not sure we’ll ever build a home like the ones I drooled over back then. The reality is we have bigger ‘life’ priorities – like putting 3 kids through college some day. I think it’s safe to assume that’s the same for most of us.
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So, when I get a magazine like this in the mailbox…
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Mastering the High-Low Mix, June 2013, Canadian House and Home
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…or find ones like these on the news-stand…
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…it makes me even more excited than ever to find a quiet corner and dig in!
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Kudos to the world of decorating magazines for recognizing and feeding the desire for accessible design ideas. There will always be a place for featuring showcase homes – and we can all learn from them – but personally, I find it just as inspiring to see fabulously decorated ‘everyday’ homes.
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So have you noticed this change in decorating magazines over the past few years, as well? Do you prefer to be inspired by dream homes decorated by designers, or by cheap-chic decor in every day homes like your own? (OK, so it’s not a question about war and peace, but, hey, it’s Friday 
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Have a fab weekend my lovelies.
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Until next time,
Confession: I’m afraid of power tools. Hand me a hammer or a screwdriver any day, but power tools? Eeeeeek. I’m not sure if it’s their loud noise or their sharp blades or the possibility of failure (or blood), but I’ve always steered clear of them.
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Given that I follow like a gazillion inspirational diy and decor bloggers who are always gettin’ jiggy with a jig saw, you’d think by now I would have an arsenal of power tools. Up to this point though, I’ve only ever used a sander (for this vintage bakery sign project), and a drill which I despise. (Well, except in my Grade 8 Industrial Arts class in the 80s – does that count? Ha!) Now you’ll understand why I watched the fabulous Ana White at the Haven Conference last year with my jaw at the floor! Mudroom organizer? No problem! She whipped that sucker up in front of a couple hundred of us while wearing lipstick and purple patent pumps (#anawhiteismyhero).
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Anyway, I’ve been wanting to tackle a little project in my 8-year old daughter’s room for awhile now, but I avoided it because it required a saw. I whined, and I fretted, and I avoided…and then I decided to put on my big girl panties (#the-words-you-never-thought-you’d-say-on-your blog ), and buy myself – wait for it – a jigsaw.
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One day when the kids were all at school, I finally worked up the courage to open the box, insert the blade, plug it in, and turn it on…and omg….EEEEK! It was sharp, and fast and loud. And, that was without the wood! But after convincing myself that could have a pretty decent life with 9 fingers, I proceeded.
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OK, so it’s not Ana White’s mudroom organizer, just few cuts of straight molding, but it’s something right?
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And, guess what? I LOVED it…sawdust and all!
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When my 8yo daughter got home from school, I couldn’t wait to show her. (She’s finds it quite hilarious that I’m the one in our home wanting to learn how to use tools!) There’s something, well, powerful, about using a power tool. Even if it is an itty bitty jigsaw. (Insert snickering from the peanut gallery here.)
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How about you? Are you a power tool lover, or a scaredy cat like me?
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Can’t wait to show you what I used this molding for!
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Have a great weekend!
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Until next time,
The snow is gone, the sun is out, the temperatures are rising…dare I say it’s the season for front door painting? (Can I get a booyah?)
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It’s time to talk front door colors! I’m a sucker for a front painted in a great hue.
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Shut the front door, right?!? Sorry, had to say it .
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There’s nothing that provides easier curb appeal than a pop of fun color on a door. Trying a bright or fun color on your front door can be scary, but I love how this web site about exterior color explains the fact that colors have visual ‘weight’, and that a powerful color in a small dose can visually balance an expanse of neutral house siding.
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I also thought this analogy from the same site was great: “Remember that your house most likely will be viewed from the street which may mean 60 feet or more from the curb. It’s like the actress with her stage makeup, positively frightening, but she has to be seen by the person in the very back row of the theater.”
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Last year at about this time, I took the plunge and painted the front door on our house (which has cypress green siding) from a safe and traditional red, to a more unexpected light turquoise.
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My Front Door Color:
Martha Stewart Artesian Well
Mixed as Behr paint + primer
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If you’re in the market for new front door colors like I was, you’ve probably searched for inspiration on Google, Pinterest and more. (It feels so much safer, doesn’t it?!?) I found many pretty front doors, but found it frustrating that the exact paint color chip number couldn’t be traced for many of them.
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So, for any of you lovely readers who might be considering changing your front door color this spring, I’ve rounded up 10 of my favorite ones…but I’ve only included doors for which I could trace the paint color with a fair amount of certainty. You’ll notice that most of them are Benjamin Moore paint colors – I tried to stick with a brand that’s most widely available.
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Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue
Source: House of Turquoise via hiya papaya (Click image for site)
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Benjamin Moore Imperial Yellow
Source: That Old House (Click image for site)
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Behr Japanese Fern
Source: Embrace My Space (Click image for site)
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.Benjamin Moore Blue Suede Shoes
Source: The Impatient Gardener (Click image for site)
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Benjamin Moore Moroccan Red
Source: Houzz.com (Click image for site)
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Benjamin Moore Calypso Blue
Source: Eat. Sleep. Decorate. (Click image for site)
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Benjamin Moore Hale Navy
Source: Houzz.com (Click image for site)
By San Francisco Interior Designer Green Plum Design
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Benjamin Moore Stratton Blue
Source: Lily’s House (Click image for site)
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Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
Source: Satori Design for Living (Click image for site)
Feeling inspired?.
You should always consider the color of your siding and trim when deciding on a front door color, but if you have a neutral house, pretty much anything goes! If you’re not comfortable making a color choice on your own, consult an expert.
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Happy Spring…and happy painting!
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P.S. Wondering how to paint a door? Check out my tutorial on how to paint a front door fast!
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Until next time,
I’m still here! It’s been forever (2+ weeks?) since I last blogged. I’ve had some ‘life stuff’ going on, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been decorating (or, I should say redecorating). Last Spring I posted a tour of our basement family room (which was later featured on Apartment Therapy Family). Back then, I shared my basement decorating ideas which included the use of colorful accents – like toss pillows and wall art – that helped made the space feel playful and fun. I chose those bright and cheerful accessories at the time because our twins were just babies when we developed the basement, and I hung out with them in our basement family room much more often than the playroom.
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But, as our boys have grown from babies to toddlers and become more independent, they’re now more comfortable using the basement playroom just down the hall. That’s not to say they still don’t hang in the family room with their toys (we left the train table here), but the toy chaos is so much better than it used to be!
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Since the basement family room is now used more for TV watching and hanging out than playing, I wanted to scale back on the bright accent colors, and add a bit more ‘polish’ to the space. Our 10-year old leather furniture won’t be changed any time soon (if ever, if my husband had the choice, lol), and we only recently painted the space, so I was limited with what I could change.
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Some day when I can get better shots (natural light is such a problem in basements!), maybe I’ll update my basement room tour. For now, here’s a little look at some of the small edits that helped change the look of the room. I bought very little; I just “shopped the house” for things I could use differently.
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Toss pillows: I started by moving the colorful cushions to the kids’ playroom, and rounded up these neutral ones from around the house. Don’t you just love how toss pillows can make the whole look of a room? I have an addiction to toss pillows, but they are the fastest and cheapest room makeover around!
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Rug: The rug that we had in the room before was 5×7 and was really too small for the room. An 8×10 rug helped define the space better, and the shag added additional texture and coziness to the space. Our dog has taken a liking to it!
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Drapery panels: I added neutral linen panels to each side of the window which helped to frame it better, and created some additional texture.
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Black & White Wall Art: The colorful art that was on the walls before was super fun, but but didn’t ‘ground’ the room like black and white art can. So I added a gallery wall to each side of the window with black & white canvases, and b&w family photos in gallery frames. I still love my colorful movie reels (which I spray painted in aqua and red), so I added one to each art grouping.
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Reflective surfaces: Adding soft textures (like the linen drapes, mohair pillow, and a shag rug) helped to create more coziness, but to up the ‘polish’ factor, I also tried to bring in some pieces that had reflective surfaces. I already had these red ceramic gourd lamps down here, but I added plexiglass trays on each side table. They add a bit of modern flair, but their functional purpose is to help the lamps stay on the tables and not on the floor! (I put non-slip rug liner under each lamp, and under the trays too. I might even resort to my glue gun to keep them safe, lol.)
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Geometric prints: To keep the room feeling modern (despite the decade-old furniture), I also brought in some geometric prints, like this toss cushion that I scored at HomeSense…
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So, what have you been up to, lately? Any fun re-decorating projects?
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Until next time,
Did you know that today, April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and April is autism awareness month?
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I know, what does that have to do with decorating, right? Well, it doesn’t.
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But given that it’s a day to raise awareness about autism, and that I have an (albeit small) audience to share some awareness with, I couldn’t let the day pass without addressing it. Even if you were expecting a decorating post, I’d love for you to stick around just a few more minutes. I promise to keep it short.
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When I grew up in the 70s/80s, I don’t think I really even heard about autism. It makes sense, though, since back then, the estimated autism rate was 4 in 10,000 – or, 1 in 2500 (1980 stat). So the chances that you ‘knew’ somebody who’d been diagnosed with autism were slim. (But that doesn’t mean you didn’t.)
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In any case, the first introduction that most of us had to autism was the movie Rain Man. I was in high school at the time, and I remember Rain Man well. For me, and for most adults my age and older, this is the stereotype that stuck. Even 25 years later, Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of an autistic man with extreme math skills, poor social skills and obsession with routine is the association most people make with autism.
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Fast forward to 2013.
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Now, in my own children’s generation, and perhaps yours’, the rate of autism is estimated 1 in 50 to 100 (depending on the source), with boys being 4-5x more likely to be diagnosed than girls.
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No that wasn’t a typo. 1 in 50. I was shocked too.
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My intention is not to go into all the reasons why this is so as I’m certainly no expert, but if you’re interested, you can read about the theories here.
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Instead, the point I really want to make is that there are now hundreds of thousands more children out there who’ve been diagnosed with autism since our school days. Yet, for the most part, the same 1980s stereotype remains. I know this because it was a stereotype that I held too.
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That was until Autism Spectrum Disorder touched my family’s life.
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Now that I know ASD more personally, I understand that there was only one Rain Man, and that no two children diagnosed with ASD are the same. In other words, every child diagnosed with autism is truly unique. In the short time I’ve known ASD, I’ve learned that each child faces his or her own unique set of challenges (some of which might be the same as Rain Man’s, but not all), and each child has his or her own beautiful personality and special talents – just like you and me and everyone else. If you don’t believe me, you need only to read this blog post about autism stereotypes written by an inspiring young man who blows the autism stereotype out of the water.
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If you don’t know a child with autism, then I realize that ASD might still be a hard thing to wrap your head around. After all, it’s a mystery sometimes to those who face it every day. It would be amazing if you took some time this month to learn a little more about autism, and to teach your children about it. (There are lots of great resources, like Autism Speaks and others). Chances are, they already sit in a classroom with a child or two who has ASD, and maybe they have unanswered questions.
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I realize this is a lot to ask, so if you can commit to just one thing to help a child living with ASD, please teach your children to be tolerant of and kind to any child who might appear ‘different’ in some way.
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Those of you who know me in real life may have seen me post this music video on Facebook already, but I thought I’d post it here too, as a reminder that all children have a sparkle, especially those who struggle the hardest. This re-make of Cyndi Lauper’s 1980s ‘True Colors’ by a group of Canadian artists (Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard, Simple Plan, Fefe Dobson, Lights and others) wasn’t created for the autism cause, but as an anti-bullying initiative. (Note: The net proceeds go to Kids Help Phone, a counseling service for children and youth.) Still, it speaks to all children who struggle with being ‘different’ from popular expectations.
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If you’d like your own copy of the ‘true colours / colors’ typographical image above, perhaps to honour/ honor somebody you know with ASD, please feel free to download it below. Just right click, and save.
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Until next time,
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Kerri
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Canadian Version (Colours)…
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US Version (Colors)…
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Our 8-year old LOVES to draw. She has an art table in our basement family room but rarely uses it. Instead, like any great artist, she prefers to make art when the inspiration strikes! This usually means right smack dab in the middle of the main floor TV room. So she’s always had a little art desk in there too. It’s been the bane of my existence! Her arsenal of art supplies is always in a tangle since her desk is in a small corner, without room for storage. I’ve tried a bunch of different things, but have never figured out how to organize it without crowding the room with a storage unit.
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{Note: Even though I’ll mention Martha Stewart’s wall manager product here, this is not a sponsored product review. I tried it, loved it and wanted to share!}
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(p.s., The chick and the egg on in this photo were colored by her 3-year old brothers. She’s totally die at the thought of anybody thinking she colored them, haha)
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This weekend I was at Staples to get a printer cartridge, but soon found myself with an armful of Martha Stewart chalkboard labels and stylish file folders. Are you as crazy for office supplies as I am, lol? Anyhoo, while there, I happened to notice this new ‘wall manager’ line that Martha offers, and thought it would be a perfect solution for how to organize this little disaster area…
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It comes in 12×12 ’tiles’ you place next to one another, so you can create a wall organizer as small or as large as you wish. In our case, we needed only two of them to create her art station, as her art space is limited to a small corner of the TV room. They were super easy to install. They even came with a little built-in level to ensure you hang them straight. (Would you expect anything less from Martha Stewart ?) The whole process from start to finish took me about 10-15 minutes. That’s my kind of diy project!
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Once you’ve installed the squares, you can slide all kinds of cool little organizational gadgets on there – like hooks, caddies, trays, and clips.
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I used some chalkboard labels (also Martha Stewart home office) to label the different compartments so everything doesn’t get all mixed up again.
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In addition to the wall system, I hung her little pin board (one we already had) above it so that she could show off some of her (and her little brothers’) art. For all the other stuff she creates and wants to save, we bought a binder that she store it all in. Hopefully that will alleviate the pile of random paper that accumulates around her desk.
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The big question is, will it stay this organized? I am thinking it is pretty fail-proof, but then again, I’m not 8. A good sign was that she was super-excited about it. I surprised her with it. When she went out, her art desk looked like a bomb went off; when she came back, it looked like this. Gee,I wish somebody would do that for my desk!
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It just goes to show that you can pack a lot of punch into a small space when you have the right organizational products.
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Hope this product information might help you organize a small art station for your own child…or even for yourself!
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Until next time,
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Kerri 
P.S. I’m sharing this tip at Beth’s:
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Welcome to A Pop of Pretty, a Canadian home decorating blog that chronicles my love of home decor and pretty things. I'm out to prove (mostly to myself!) that a pretty home is still possible amid the circus of 3 young kids, including twin toddlers. {More...}
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